evacuate

verb

evac·u·ate | \ i-ˈva-kyə-ˌwāt

, -kyü-ˌāt\

evacuated; evacuating

Definition of evacuate

transitive verb

1 : to remove the contents of : empty

2 : to discharge from the body as waste : void

3 : to remove something (such as gas or water) from especially by pumping

4a : to remove especially from a military zone or dangerous area

b : to withdraw from military occupation of

c : vacate sense 1 were ordered to evacuate the building

intransitive verb

1 : to withdraw from a place in an organized way especially for protection

2 : to pass urine or feces from the body

Other Words from evacuate Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about evacuate

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Synonyms & Antonyms for evacuate

Synonyms

clear, empty, vacate, void

Antonyms

fill, load

Examples of evacuate in a Sentence

People who live along the coast are being evacuated as the hurricane approaches. During World War II, children were evacuated from London to the country. Residents were ordered to evacuate the building. Residents have been ordered to evacuate.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some residents, however, are not taking chances, and are choosing to voluntarily evacuate... — Oliver Darcy, CNN, "News outlets prep for Tropical Storm Barry," 12 July 2019 No communities are currently being asked to evacuate. — Jeff Parrott, Anchorage Daily News, "Fire updates: Hess Creek fire continues to grow, Swan Lake fire conditions improve," 11 July 2019 According to Coursey, the river and a brook that runs behind one campground overflowed, causing at least two dozen campers to evacuate. — Adam Sennott, BostonGlobe.com, "Thunderstorms trigger flash floods in parts of N.H.," 11 July 2019 Shell called the effort precautionary to secure its drilling operations and to evacuate people, but most of the oil and gas production will continue. — Jordan Blum, Houston Chronicle, "Shell evacuates Gulf platforms as disturbance strengthens," 9 July 2019 The man went back into an apartment, and officers tried to evacuate the rest of the tenants on the same floor, police said. — Kaylee Remington, cleveland.com, "Man dead in officer-involved shooting in Brooklyn, police say," 9 July 2019 In June, about a foot of raw sewage and wastewater backed up in the Barbour Gardens complex, forcing the city of Hartford to temporarily evacuate 29 households to a hotel. — Rebecca Lurye, courant.com, "Nonprofit wins grant to support Hartford residents leaving failed subsidized housing projects," 9 July 2019 Police were able to evacuate Abiodun who is in stable condition at an area hospital, according to the sheriff’s office. — Deanna Weniger, Twin Cities, "One in custody, one hospitalized after Saturday morning shooting in Columbia Heights," 6 July 2019 There are no plans yet to evacuate the survivors from Tajoura. — NBC News, "Migrants trapped in Libya face deadly choices on land, at sea," 5 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'evacuate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.